Savoring Alternative Food is a challenging read, reporting detailed research and analysis of two school garden and cooking programs (SGCPs) in America. This is not a typical case study narrative of the challenges and successes of kitchen garden programs. Instead, it is a deeply analytical examination of school garden initiatives in America and the socio-cultural aspects that influence the program outcomes. Understanding that ‘promotion of local, sustainable, and healthy food systems’ (p. 1) is considered to be alternative food activism was the first of many disruptions the reader may experience. The book is confronting but thought provoking.

The first two chapters outline the author's theoretical approach using a visceral research methodology, justifying how the socio-politics of a situation can influence visceral responses and preferences for food. The first few chapters offered many alternative viewpoints that were ultimately valuable to consider when examining school gardens, but were a little difficult to navigate through initially. The book's audience is definitely academic, rather than for practitioners looking for ways to implement school garden programs. The aims of SGCPs in Australia appear similar to those outlined in the third chapter, ‘Knowing Food’ — that fresh food and a low fat diet will keep you healthy and junk food is rubbish:

The primary objective of these two SGCPs was quite explicit: to educate children's palates and encourage them to eat more vegetables and therefore be slim and healthy. The definition of what constitutes good food appears more narrowly defined in America than in the Australian school garden experience, where whole food and students’ own lived experience is often included in garden and menu planning. The wonder of growing, cooking and eating food with your peers is rarely accompanied by discussion of national dietary recommendations in this country, whereas it was an explicit focus in these two American cases, and children were very aware of the transformative intention of healthy cooking at school, as opposed to the environmental or sustainability reasons for eating locally produced food. The evangelical approach to food that underlies these SGCPs is clear: children should be educated to eat more fresh vegetables, whole grains, no meat and very little fat; and once they develop a palate through tasting and cooking ‘real food’, they will prefer it to junk food.

The second section of the book, ‘Tasting Difference’, begins with ‘A Tale Of Two Dinners’, which demonstrates Hayes-Conroy's visceral methodology. The author contrasts a community fundraiser meal of low-quality processed foods that were shared with genuine friendship and warmth, and a meal among friends with excellent home-grown produce accompanied by a superior attitude to food quality and less authentic welcome to her guest. The example outlines the complexities of eating and sharing food, considering the social, economic and cultural differences, and highlights how meals and food cannot be simply categorised into good or bad depending on their nutritional value. The meal made from fresh, wholesome ingredients and cooked from scratch may have been more nutritious and sustainable than the potluck dinner; however, the judgmental conversation, lack of social warmth and inclusion make the reader consider broadening their perspective to include socio-political considerations. This example prepares the reader for the further examination of SGCPs, questioning whose knowledge is considered to be expert and the hidden curriculum underlying these assumptions.

Hayes-Conroy describes race as the elephant in the room, given the stark difference socio-culturally between the middle-class white agenda of SGCPs and the reality of non-white students. It's not just about the collard greens, describes student perceptions of the food they cook in the SGCP and the huge difference for some between school and home life. Non-white students in particular are well aware that the food they are cooking is not their own preference, which they themselves categorise as junk food: ‘You guys eat different food . . . [white people] eat all health food and stuff. We eat lots of junk food. And they are always trying to control us’ (Student, CA, p. 114).

This clearly describes the student's perception of the SGCP as enforcing a healthy eating agenda that they clearly do not subscribe to. The SGCPs in this research offer elective classes, allowing for the deliberate selection of participants and resulting in at-risk (typically non-white) students being selected for the programs. In an attempt to reverse any racial bias, some white SGCP participants reported being taken out of the English literature elective and put into a SGCP group, probably to make it more representative and balanced. Despite the apparent over-representation of non-white students, there appears to be little attempt to cook culturally appropriate meals or teach children how to make healthier versions of their preferred meals using frozen vegetables, and teaching replacement techniques such as baking rather than frying. The poorer American neighbourhoods rarely have fresh produce stores, so packaged processed foods are often the only option available in local stores. By failing to address the children's socio-cultural context, students are not engaged and the SGCPs have a limited ability to transform the nutrition knowledge and cooking skills into healthier regular diets for the participants most in need of better nutrition. The opportunity for children to either take school produce home or grow and eat home-grown produce using their gardening skills is not mentioned; in fact, little is made of the connection between the gardening and healthy cooking and eating.

The final section of the book, ‘Policy and Practice’, summarises the hands-on learning approach seen to be essential to transforming children's relationship with food. Hayes-Conroy questions whether the curriculum is bodied — ‘an educational program that effectively bridges the gap between diverse, lived experience and abstract, intellectual work’ (p. 165) — or simply repetitive practice of hands-on learning of skills. It appears the repetitive skills and nutritional knowledge are delivered in a way that are not necessarily relevant to students. Although self-direction does occur to varying degrees, the learning is often teacher directed, with strict rules that include not touching the oven! There appears to be far more student autonomy in the Australian primary school context than the American high school SGCPs reported in this study.

The detailed description of the research in this book included constant questioning by the author and dual interpretations of evidence, offering alternative viewpoints for consideration but making the book difficult to read at times. However, the frequent referrals to case study examples are the saving grace, allowing the reader to reflect upon participants’ experiences and to consider their own contexts and interpretations. To an emerging researcher, the book is an enlightening window on American SGCPs that highlights the differences and similarities to the Australian context and consideration of the socio-cultural differences between our countries. The book's socio-critical lens allows the reader to consider what expert knowledge is perpetuated and the importance of integrating students’ socio-cultural realities to maximise engagement with SGCPs in order to achieve program goals.